Sugawara Ryohei is the president of M’s Kitchen.

You run several bars and restaurants, you import, you brew, you organize events and festivals. How would you characterize your role in Japan’s beer scene?

That’s a difficult question. I’m both a businessman and a brewer. I started from the business side, however. I opened Belgaube in May of 2004 with another partner. After initiating the green tea business at Tulley’s with a university friend, I had realized that I wanted to do something interesting beyond the cafe business. Right around that time I had some Chimay and thought, yeah, this is it! I liked beer and was already a beer geek of sorts, so I decided to start this place.

I realized back then that Belgian beer could become very popular in Japan. I wanted to do something niche like that, something that nobody else was doing. I thought it might be interesting to try to introduce delicious Belgian beer to Japan and spread their appreciation. And as soon as I jumped into this business, I realized that I also wanted to import, as well as open one of Belgium’s Delirium Cafes in Japan or Asia.

Did you make any mistakes in the beginning?

We definitely made some big mistakes. I opened up three places in quick succession, but then had to shut two down. Finding good staff in the beginning was really, really hard and I certainly wasn’t ready either. It takes time and effort to train staff to understand beer– the styles, how it should taste, how it should be served. But now we have more knowledgeable staff. And consumers, too, are sometimes even more knowledgeable than our staff. Now we have lots of people coming to our restaurants drinking Belgian beers. I currently operate seven establishments, import several Belgian brands and brew my own beer in Belgium.

When did you start brewing?

I began learning to brew in February, 2008, at Belgium’s Rio Reserva. I learned by helping the brewer whom I was importing from, and started brewing in earnest only last year. Of course, in the beginning I didn’t do very well. I had problems with the fermentation in Europe’s cold spells. But I have a lot of confidence in my beer now. I love brewing as I talk with my friends over there. And Belgian yeast is incredible; I think there’s stuff you can only brew in Belgian. But there’s so many styles I still have to study.

What’s your vision for Belgian beer in Japan?

I want people to have a place to drink during the day, like in Belgium, with an open terrace, for example. That was part of my motivation behind opening these restaurants. And I want this not for your beer fanatics, but for your average person. I think I’ve been successful in pushing this. Belgian beer is no longer some specialty drink you can only get in some dark bar frequented by beer geeks. It’s out in the open, it’s mainstream.

Which beers are most popular in your restaurants?

Celois White, Delirium, St. Bernardus. The famous beer critic Michael Jackson wrote about those in his book. People gravitating toward white beers are on the rise. I can remember drinking Celois White for the first time, too. Your first experience with a white beer will definitely make an impression.

You’ve run several events and festivals that include Japanese craft beer. What’s your take on the Japanese craft beer scene?

Craft beer has really taken off in Japan and I personally love it, but I think brewers are paying perhaps too much attention to American craft beers. I want them to know that there’s so much more out there, and to discover the charm of Belgian beers, too. I go to America every year and have found that American brewers and drinkers are very knowledgeable about Belgian beer. It was, after all, an important driver of the American craft beer revolution! There are so few trying to connect craft beer and Belgian beer, so I’ll be happy if there’s anything I can contribute to that.

This article was published in Japan Beer Times # () and is among the limited content available online. Order your copy through our online shop or download the digital version from the iTunes store to access the full contents of this issue.